Chicogo airport..changing planes how much time

[tigercat]

I am looking at using airmiles for my flight to Orlando in April. Our flight would leave Toronto and go to Chicogo (sp?) I need to know how much time I would need to change planes. My ds is slightly disabled so we wouldn't be able to "sprint" off the plan. I have a problem as well so the 2 of us would need a little time. When I flew to England they were really good but am unsure what the airport is like.
tigercat

 

[Debbie]

tigercat, you should post this on the Transportation Board, too. There is bound to be someone who frequents Chicago on the board, and who could help. BTW, the Transportation board is just above us on the drop down menu.

 

[tigercat]

Thanks Debbie I will.
tigercat

 

[goldilocks_63]

I'm from Chicago, and fly out a lot.. Are you going thru O'hare or thru Midway?

I think the minimum you would need would be 2 hours, and better to schedule 3 hours in between.

At O'hare the International wing is in bldg 5, and then you go from there to 1,2,3 or 4 terminals. A shuttle runs every 15 minutes...

So you need to find out from the airplane company what terminals you are coming into. Usually a big airline like United has all their flights in the same area, except for International (remember to bring your passport).

You can request assistance as well from the airline (for handicaps) if needed.

Weather can be variable, and sometimes you can get snowed in or thunderstorms. If you need a backup place to crash, IM me and I'll send you my cell phone so you have a place to stay if you need it.

--
I'm saying 2 hours minimum, because I think 1 hour is the tighest you can get from one spot to another, and usually the flight your leaving is late.... See if you can pick an airline that has frequent flights, so if you are delayed, can get standby on the next flight.



Best, Goldi

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

If you're booking a reservation that includes all legs of your flights, airline computers including those on-line will not allow a connection that does not meet the minimum connecting time for that airport. You only need to worry about minimums if you're splicing together separate reservations on your own for the two legs. Certainly given your circumstances you may not want a valid connection that is exactly at the minimum.

Have you considered using a travel agent that you could discuss your needs face-to-face with and have them put an itinerary together for you? On-line sources often won't publish all possible connections that a travel agent can locate to allow for extra connecting time.

BobK/Orlando

 

[tigercat]

Actually I am trying to use Air Miles for the plane tickets. I have talked to them on the phone and they have tried to be very helpful. I would be traveling to O'Hare and would be using American Air the whole way through. I really would like to use my air miles for this but they really make it difficult. Probably will not try using air miles for flights again. Thanks goldilocks_63 I will let you know. I will be traveling in April so I am hopeful that the snow will be gone by then. When I call air miles again I will know the questions I need to ask now. I am not happy about having to spend so much time traveling when I know there are flights that go direct. I also looked into flying out of Buffalo and can do that with air miles but the amount of points needed are really something. It would be an extra 1300 points.
tigercat

 

[Lollipop's Mom]

We are from Vancouver area, but flying from Seattle. We are going on Southwest Seattle-Midway then Midway-Orlando - and its only an hour layover in between. We have done a 45 min layover once and had time - we hurried to the next gate, and still managed to grab a quick bite to eat to bring on the plane with us.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

If you're willing to fly from Buffalo then check the fares at southwest.com because there can be some very cheap Buffalo-Orlando fares. We paid $37 each way last summer. That was crazy but $59 and $69 each way fares are pretty typical in that market. And at those prices you could save your Air Miles for something later.

BobK/Orlando

 

[tiggerrr]

I've flown through Chicago a number of times and layovers are usually about an hour or an hour and a half and that has always been more than enough. The fact that you're flying American should mean no terminal change - so the distance between gates is usually not far. The only real risk is if you're delayed getting out of Toronto. Since Chicago is not a hub for American, you may have to wait a while for the next flight to Orlando.